Dozens rally against hate and violence in Waterbury

WATERBURY -- After violence broke out in Virginia, community members gathered in Waterbury for a solidarity rally.

The Council on American Islamic Relations was behind the rally which drew in about 100 people to Library Park.

“I don’t care if you belong to the Democratic party, the Republican party, the Independent party, your race, religion, color,” Fahd Syed with the Council on American Islamic Relations said. “We’re all American, lets come together.”

Other local groups spoke at the event including the Waterbury branch of the National Association for Advancement of Colored People.

“We have to send a message to Donald Trump and all the politicians that this is not tolerated, that this kind of hate is not tolerated,” President of the Waterbury Chapter of the NAACP James Monroe said.
Hundreds of white supremacist and Neo-Nazis clashed with anti-protesters in a violent Saturday afternoon in Charlottesville, Virginia killing one person and injuring dozens more. Two others died in the crash of a State Police helicopter.
“It was the most horrendous thing I’ve seen in many, many years,” Waterbury resident Michael Salvio said. “The entire country needs to come together to stop this terrible racism that’s going on.”

Waterbury Police said there were no issues at Monday’s rally and the event was in fact a peaceful one.

New Haven, West Hartford, Danbury are some of several other Connecticut communities that held solidarity rallies.